


Paper Walls

by romeoandjulietyouwish



Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [38]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Crying, Fire, Gen, Hurt Christopher Diaz, Hurt Eddie Diaz, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Eddie Diaz, Worried Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25709545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish
Summary: A fire starts at the Diaz's residence.Characters of color appreciation week day 4: Favorite kid of color
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725208
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80





	Paper Walls

Christopher wakes up to a sharp piercing noise. He immediately claps his hands over his ears and looks around for the source of the noise and his eyes land on the fire alarm flashing above his door. 

“Daddy!” Christopher shouts, then quickly couching at the thick smoke filling his room. When Chris doesn’t immediately hear a response from his dad, he stumbles out of bed, his legs shaky. His bedroom door is shut so he touches the handle gingerly, just like he’d been taught, snapping away when he finds it hot, stumbling backward and falling. “Daddy!” Chris screams, tears starting to fall down his face. He can’t get out of his door.

“Christopher!” His dad’s voice comes from somewhere down the hallway. “I can’t get to you! Open your window and climb out, okay? I’ll meet you outside!” 

“Daddy!” Christopher sobs. 

“I love you, Christopher!” 

Smoke seeps into Christopher’s room under the crack in his door and he can feel the intense heat from the fire. He slowly lifts himself to his feet and turns around with the intent to grab his crutches, only they’re not next to his bed. Only then does Christopher remember that he had fallen asleep on the couch and his dad had carried him to bed, leaving his crutches in the living room. 

With panicked breath, Chris makes his way across his bedroom, leaning on his bed and his dresser. It’s getting harder to breathe. A glance over his shoulder tells him that the flames are starting to enter his room. Breathing heavily, Christopher makes it to the window. He tries with all his might to push the window up, but it’s not working. 

The locks. 

They had locked all the windows. 

Chris reaches up with a shaky hand and tries to turn the lock, but it doesn’t turn. Tears are pouring down his face now as he tries again, using all of his strength to turn the lock. But again it doesn’t turn. 

“Daddy!” Christopher screams. Christopher’s bedroom window faces the back of the house while Eddie’s faces the front so Christopher has no way of knowing where his dad is. He hears sirens far off.

He doesn’t get an answer. Chris bangs his hand as hard as he can against the window. Nothing. He tries again and again, but each time his fists hit the glass, Christopher’s balance grows more and more unsteady. He tries the lock again, this time trying to use his body as leverage to turn it, but it doesn’t work and Christopher loses his balance, tripping backward. As he falls, he tries to catch himself, but it doesn’t work. Christopher feels an immense amount of pain rush through his leg and his arm. He screams again, nearly unable to see because of the thick smoke and the tears in his eyes. 

The fire is inside his room, creeping its way across the walls, both hotter and brighter than Chris could ever have imagined. He whimpers, using his uninjured leg to push himself back against the wall, holding his wrist to his chest. “Daddy!” Christopher shouts again. He coughs harshly three times and the smoke is so thick in his room that he can’t see the door anymore. 

All of a sudden, his bedroom window shatters and someone climbs through it. Christopher blinks slowly as he tries to recognize them, but all he can see is the number 118 across the helmet. The firefighter lifts him in his arms and gently passes him through the window to someone waiting outside. 

Christopher feels the person holding him start to run and then he hears the sirens grow louder and he hears voices shouting. 

“Christopher!” It’s his dad. He’s okay! He wants to see his dad, wants to crawl into his arms, but his eyelids feel so heavy. Christopher hears someone telling him to stay awake, but he can’t. 

* * *

Eddie stumbles out of his bedroom window, nearly falling face-first into the ground. He’s in so much pain, his right arm and leg are covered with burns from where he tried to get to Christopher, but the hallway was filled with smoke and flames. Eddie stumbles as he tries to walk around the house, he needs to get to Christopher and help him get out. 

But then someone stands in front of him. Buck. Eddie blinks, he hadn’t even noticed the fire trucks and ambulances pull up. He knows Buck is saying something to him, probably something important, but Eddie’s not listening. His child is still in the fire. 

“Chris...Christopher,” Eddie tells Buck, almost in a trance. Buck’s eyes widen as Eddie points to the house. 

“Bobby!” Buck shouts and he sprints off as Hen appears at his left shoulder. Her face is grim as she puts a hand on his shoulder and pushes him gently towards the ambulance. 

Eddie shakes his head, “I need- Christopher!” He shouts, calling out as loud as he can for his son. 

“Bobby and Buck are getting him,” Hen assures him, she forces him to sit down on the steps of the ambulance. She starts to treat his burns and ask him questions, but Eddie doesn’t look at her. He watches Bobby and Buck disappear around the back of the house, running as fast as they can. 

Time seems to freeze as Eddie waits with bated breath, eyes fixed on the side of the house. He doesn’t know how long he stares, seconds, minutes, even hours. But then time stumbles forward as Bobby sprints around from the back of the burning house, holding a small figure in his arms. 

“Christopher!” Eddie shouts, his voice nearly gone from smoke inhalation and screaming for his son. Hen stops where she’s bandaging his arm and rushes over to where Bobby sets his son on the ground. 

Chimney doesn’t try to hold him back as he stumbles off of the ambulance, he just lets Eddie lean on him and supports some of his weight as Eddie falls to his knees beside his son. Christopher’s eyes are closed as Hen presses and an oxygen mask to his face. Both Chris’s left ankle and wrist are clearly broken and bleeding. 

Eddie wants to throw up. His job is to keep his son safe. Christopher is the most important thing in the world to him and he let him get hurt. He should have done better.

Christopher’s eyes open and he looks all around at them, breathing far too quickly for Eddie’s liking. He sobs and Eddie feels his heart breaking. He must be in so much pain, Eddie’s own wounds can wait, his son is hurt.

“I’m right here,” Eddie tells his son, reaching out to touch Christopher’s forehead. “I’m right here, buddy.”

Christopher whimpers as Bobby says, “Let’s get them both transported.” 

Eddie’s heart pounds in his ears as his friends lift his son onto a backboard and load him into the ambulance. Eddie jumps in behind them and takes his child’s hand as the sirens start to sound, his only source of comfort is the beeping of the heart monitor. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! 
> 
> Tumblr- @evanbuckley-heartofgold


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